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Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
Developed and published in 2017 by Nintendo, Super Mario Odyssey's sandbox gameplay and 3D platforming were aimed at the franchise's core fans and the dev didn't miss, producing one of the best game in the series.
Super Mario Odyssey Articles
Among Us tops the most downloaded Switch games in December chart
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Nintendo Labo VR to support Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey
Nintendo of America have announced that they will be adding VR features to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey through their Labo VR kit for the Nintendo Switch which is set to release during April 2019.
Nintendo to release two new Switch models this summer
According to the report in the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo plan to release two new Switch models as early as this summer. One version will have new, enhanced features but still won't be strong as PlayStation 4 Pro or Xbox One X.
Nintendo earn $250 million on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Nintendo made it no secret that the US holiday shopping season represents a large chunk of their annual earnings and the company had a season to remember, selling more than $250 million worth of gear from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
Nintendo Switch outsells GameCube, Wii U, so Wii more to go
Just like Sony, as well as Microsoft for that matter, Nintendo reported some strong financial results, announcing that the Switch has officially outsold the GameCube and of course the Wii U, even if the latter isn't much of a compliment.
Super Mario Odyssey takes to charts as biggest Switch launch
Assassin's Creed Origins debuts at number one, surpassing its predecessor in revenue. Super Mario Odyssey became Nintendo’s sixth biggest launch ever. Grand Theft Auto V's sales were up by 129 percent thanks to Steam's Halloween sale.
Nintendo Direct: Bethesda's Skyrim and Doom coming to Switch
Nintendo have announced a long list of games that'll be coming to Switch during the next couple of months. A lot of ports, first and third party games ranging from Super Mario Odyssey to Doom will soon become available for Switch.
New characters coming to Arms and a new map for Splatoon 2
Nintendo have announced part of their presentation line-up for Gamescom 2017. Splatoon is getting a new map and Arms is getting a new character. A demo for Pokken Tournament DX will be available at the Nintendo eShop this Thursday.
Nintendo is locking NES games on Switch behind an online check-in
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Nintendo Switch is nearing 20 million sold units milestone
Fiscal reports continue, as Nintendo are now posting their numbers. According to the documents, Nintendo has sold about 19,67 million Nintendo Switch units as of June 30, marking a sales increase over the same time period last year.
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Rainbow Six Year 7 Season 2 - New Operator, release date, maps and more
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Escape from Tarkov: Where to find bosses on Customs
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Full list of announced PlayStation VR 2 games11
Full list of announced PlayStation VR 2 games
Here is the full list of every announced PSVR 2 game so far including Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil Village and more.
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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 pre-order date and editions explained11
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 pre-order date and editions explained
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How to save Trever in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
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If you ask investors what types of startups will likely rise this year, they’ll probably mention fintech, some specialized forms of ecommerce, media, and perhaps software-as-a-service.
Here’s a list of startups in those categories I think we’ll hear more from this year.
Hailing from the portfolio of Mountain Kejora Ventures, Investree is an exciting new player in financial services.
Its core feature is invoice financing. Small business sometimes have to wait weeks or months to be paid by clients for services or products already shipped. Through Investree, they can get the amount that’s owed to them in advance, which allows them to plan better. Once the client’s payment comes through, the lender gets the money back – with interest, of course.
The startup, which has dished out roughly US$4.5 million in loans so far, is a peer-to-peer lending marketplace where third-party lenders provide the cash and get interest in return.
Investree is also looking into employee loans, where lenders can help employees of Investree’s partner companies to finance special expenses like medical treatment, house renovation, or buying a motorcycle.
Co-founders Aida Sutanto, Adrian Gunadi, Andi Andries, and Dickie Widjaja are an experienced team and bring years of experience in the banking and finance sector with them.
Investree’s last announced funding was its series A from Mountain Kejora in June 2016
UangTeman is also a loans startup, but different from Investree in that it does not invite third-party lenders onto the platform. Instead, it gives out its own money to borrowers – very small loans intended to help people through a particularly tight stretch, for example toward the end of the month.
This type of lending is also known as a payday loan.
UangTeman has been criticized for taking high interest rates and late fees. Co-founder and CEO Aidil Zulkifli argues that what customers want most is transparency as well as speedy and simple access to a loan.
The startup, which has handed out around US$2.4 million in loans, claims that its default rate is very low, under 3 percent, and that the vast majority of borrowers can repay their debt on time without getting hit by penalties.
UangTeman raised a pre-series A round in equity financing in addition to US$735,000 in debt in September last year. It could be a candidate for a new round this year. Alpha JWC is among its investors.
CekAja, established in 2013, is a dinosaur among Indonesia’s mostly very young fintech startups.
Its model could be described as financial ecommerce. It brings people in with information on all kinds of financial products like credit cards, or insurances. Readers can browse and compare offerings from a broad range of providers and then purchase the offering right through CekAja.
This is different to other comparison sites, co-founder J.P. Ellis says, which typically send their customers to their partners as leads, without selling to them directly.
CekAja raised a series B round led by Telstra Ventures, an arm of the Australian telco, in September last year – the first company to do so in Southeast Asia. It also operates in the Philippines under the name eCompareMo.
Mountain Kejora Ventures and Monk’s Hill Ventures are among its investors.
General ecommerce is tough to break into now, as big companies have already put down their claims. But for niche shopping areas with a sophisticated audience there’s still potential, investors believe.
Cosmetics are a prime example. Buyers are quite particular about the brands they like and are willing to spend a significant amount. Sociolla in Indonesia is a candidate that’s been doing well in the field.
A similar startup from Singapore, Luxola, was acquired by luxury goods giant LVMH in 2015.
Luxola never got a strong foothold in Indonesia. So with a recent series B fundraise from a big Japanese firm, Sociolla is in a good position to conquer its home country.
Fabelio’s been around since 2015 and holds a unique spot in Indonesia’s ecommerce landscape. It’s a furniture store that designs and produces its own line of simple but elegant sofas, tables, chairs, and so on, and sells them through its own site. It targets upper middle class households and also works with corporate clients, like hotels and restaurants.
It has polished the designs and production process in the past couple of years, and now aims to establish itself in cities beyond the Jakarta metropolitan area.
It’s a business with strong economics, says Stefan Jung of Venturra Capital, which led Fabelio’s series A in January last year. IMJ Investment Partners, 500 Startups, and KK Fund are also investors.
A hybrid news site with social media elements, Kumparan is a new entrant in Indonesia’s digital media landscape.
It’s a little bit like Medium in the sense that it houses curated, editorial content, but also allows the community to create its own posts and interact with each other.
Kumparan went online a few months ago. Its traffic, while not massive, has been growing steadily. The reason it’s included in this list is that it’s backed by a high-profile team of co-founders: a group of seasoned journalists, famous for establishing news portal Detik back in 1998.
Detik turned into one of Indonesia’s most valuable online properties, sold to Para Group in 2011 for a reported US$60 million, a huge exit at that time. Whatever Kumparan evolves into this year will be interesting to watch.
The number of startups with software-as-a-service (Saas) business models is proliferating in Indonesia.
Many of them target the country’s millions of small and medium-sized businesses, for example with online tools for accounting or human resources management.
Jurnal falls into the category of accounting software, with features like invoicing, reporting, and asset management.
After a series A round last February led by East Ventures, it plans to expand to cities like Bandung, Medan, and Surabaya this year.
After acquiring another startup which specialized in accounting software late last year, Sleekr now offers both human resources management and accounting tools.
The company has so far only disclosed an initial investment of US$35,000 in 2014, with money provided out of the three co-founders own pockets.
Traffic to its site is steadily increasing and the company has nine open job postings, so it looks like it’s set for a strong year.
This post 8 startups to watch in Indonesia in 2017 appeared first on Tech in Asia.

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Halloween is not just about trick-or-treating these days! Many restaurants have announced special deals with free or cheap kids’ meals starting October 30th! If you’re looking for a ghoulishly good deal, here are 5 more Halloween Deals that are serving up freebies and discounts this Halloween. But for some deals to apply, you have to be in costume!
Families who dine at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurants on Halloween will receive up to two free kids’ meals with the purchase of each adult entrée. Children 12 years and younger can choose from a variety of entrées from Applebee’s Kids’ Menu, accompanied by their choice of a side dish, and juice, regular milk or chocolate milk. Make sure to give your local restaurant a call to make sure they're participating.
For customers in costume on Halloween, Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering $3 burritos — or "Booritos" — and more. Starting from 3 p.m. to close on Oct. 31, Chipotle will charge people in costume $3 for "Boorito" burritos, bowls, salads and tacos. Separately, the company is also offering consumers a chance to win free burritos for a year by texting "BOORITO" to a designated line ahead of Halloween.
Not only is IHOP offering free food on Halloween, they're making it totally okay for kids to play with their food. From 7am through 10pm, kids ages 12 and under can get a free Scary Face Pancake and design their own freaky frown using toppings like strawberries, whipped cream, Mini Oreos and candy corn. Scary Face Pancakes are available now through October 31 at participating Macon area restaurants.
Throw on your costume and get to Krispy Kreme to snag a free doughnut at participating locations on Halloween. You'll definitely want to pick up a Jack-o-Lantern, Spider Web or Mummy doughnut to get in the spirit. Receive 1 (one) free doughnut on Halloween day when you wear your costume inside the store. (No purchase neccesary. Offer valid 10/31/17 at participating Macon area Krispy Kreme)
Chuck E. Cheese
Enjoy candy corn pizza (pizza with garlic mozzarella and sharp cheddar to resemble the traditional Halloween candy) at Chuck E. Cheese's this Halloween. The specialty pizza will be sold with two servings of candy corn through Oct. 31 with free slices given away on Halloween from 4-8 p.m. while supplies last. Also, kids get 50 free tickets when they stop in wearing their Halloween costumes.
posted 10/31/2018 in


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When many of us hear the term climate change, we think about changes in the weather and how human activity impacts our environment. Many consumers, as uncovered in IFIC’s previous research, also think about the environment when shopping for foods and beverages. Our latest survey dives deeper into climate change specifically as a factor in consumers’ minds when considering what foods to buy and, ultimately, to eat.
IFIC’s new consumer research survey, “Climate Change and Food Production,” which was fielded on April 9th and 10th, provides unique insights into how consumers consider their concerns about climate change with food purchase decisions. Here are some key takeaways:
Most people are concerned about climate change, and these concerns affect their food and beverage purchases. More than 70% of survey takers noted that they were at least somewhat concerned about climate change. Of those who said they were concerned, over half (52%) said these concerns sometimes impact their food and beverage purchases and nearly one in five (19%) said these concerns always impact their purchases. People under age 45, those living in the western U.S., and those who are college-educated were more likely to be very or somewhat concerned about climate change, while those in the 65+ age group were more likely to say that climate change concerns never impacted their food and beverage purchases.
Most are concerned about food production’s impact on climate change, and consumers care about “the how.” Two out of every three people (67%) are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of food production on climate change (34% are very concerned; 33% are somewhat concerned). An additional 17% are “a little concerned,” while just 13% are not at all concerned. When we asked consumers to rank what they believe plays the largest role in our food system’s impact on climate change, we saw that how food is processed (49% ranked in their top three choices) and how food is grown (48%) were top concerns, followed by how food is packaged (37%). Trailing closely behind was consumers’ concerns about what happens to food waste (34%). Despite being the age group most concerned about climate change, people under 45 years were less likely than other age groups to believe that how food is processed and how it is grown play large roles in food production’s impact on climate change.
Consumers believe reducing greenhouse gases and pesticide use would be most effective for lowering climate change consequences. Survey takers were asked what they believed to be the top three practices that would most reduce food production’s impact on climate change. Among the top-ranking choices were reducing greenhouse gas emissions (34%), reducing pesticide use (33%), and reducing food waste (27%). Notably, only 10% of consumers thought that increasing the use of biotechnology would reduce food production’s impact on the climate, with a higher percentage of men (13%) than women (8%) choosing this option.
Food packaging is a key part of the climate change conversation. When asked about purchasing behaviors, four in ten said they purchase food and beverages with recyclable packaging, roughly one-third (31%) aimed for foods with less packaging, and about one-quarter (23%) looked for products with compostable packaging. Just 14% said that food packaging doesn’t impact their purchasing decisions, making clear that how foods are provided to consumers is an important component of their perceptions of its environmental footprint. Different food packaging options are also seen as effective for reducing food’s impact on climate change: recyclable packaging (20%), compostable packaging (20%), reducing food packaging (19%), and reusable food packaging (17%) were top options for about two in ten survey takers.
Many look to “natural,” “organic,” and “locally produced” labels to shape perceptions of a product’s impact on the climate. These food labels were ranked highest for conveying a positive impact on climate change, with each ranking in the top three for over four in ten (42%) survey takers. Twenty-nine percent said that a “Non-GMO” label conveyed a positive climate change impact, while just 8% said the same of a “Bioengineered” label. And while labeling is clearly important for many, nearly three out of ten (28%) said that none of the label options presented conveyed a positive impact on the climate.
Consumers want environmentally friendly products, but category and cost play a role. Six in ten consumers seek out environmentally friendly products in at least some parts of their lives, with food and beverages the top category for doing so. Nearly eight in ten (79%) of those who said they seek out environmentally friendly products said that they looked for food and beverages that fell in step with this category, with women more likely (86%) to select this option compared with men (70%). Many also make environmentally friendly cleaning supplies (68%) and clothing (37%) a priority. It’s clear, however, that many factors play into peoples’ purchasing decisions. When presented with a theoretical scenario in which a favorite product was less environmentally friendly than an alternative with the same taste, 35% said they would buy the more environmentally friendly option, while 29% said their decision would depend on the cost of the alternative. Thirteen percent said they’d continue to buy the item that they’re most familiar with, and 10% said their decision would depend on other factors.
One thousand interviews were conducted among adults ages 18+ from April 9th to April 10th, 2020 and were weighted to ensure proportional results. The margin of error was ±3.1% at the 95% confidence level.


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Recent Copyright Cases, Entertainment Trademark News, International Copyright Updates, Entertainment and Copyright Licensing and Merchandizing, Copyright thought of the week and more, presented by the Media & Entertainment law attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s Premier New Age IP Firm.
Copyright Thought of the Week
“Entertainment Law is not as Entertaining as Entertainment”
Dr. Kalyan C Kankanala
Recent Copyright Cases
- Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) vs. Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd
ZEEL filed a Copyright infringement suit before the Bombay High Court claiming that it’s popular show, ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’, a televised talent hunt for child actors in the 5-12 year age group has been illicitly copied by Sony. ZEEL says Sony has infringed its copyright in its concept note and ‘production bible’. Court dismissed the notice of motion stating that the submitted evidences fails to prove any similarities between both the shows. The court further stated that the ambit of both the shows are fairly distinct.
Entertainment Trademark News and Updates
- Beckhams gets their daughter’s name registered as a trademark
Beckhams have trademarked their 5-year-old daughter’s name Harper which is the most recent addition to the Beckham brand empire that has been estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds. The name is trademarked for exclusive commercial use and for the use in the entertainment industry.
- Blac Chyna denied the trademark registration for the name Kardashian
Angela Renee White professionally known as Blac Chyna, an American model and entrepreneur had applied for a trademark registration for the name ‘Angela Renee Kardashian’ before her wedding with Rob Kardashian to gain exclusive ownership of the name for her brand related business ventures. Kardashian sisters, the trio had opposed the trademark application claiming that they will “suffer damage including irreparable injury to their reputation and goodwill” if the application is granted. The Court favoured the Kardashian sisters and rejected Blac Chyna’s trademark petition.
International Copyright Updates
- Infringement of Copyright against Ed Sheeran settled out of court
Last June, the songwriters of the song “Amazing” filed an infringement suit claiming damages to the tune of 14 million pounds against singer Ed Sheeran for copying note by note of their tune in his song “Photograph”. A California judge has confirmed that the case has been dismissed as the parties have settled the issue out of court.
- Copyright infringement lawsuit against Demi Lovato gets settled
Sleigh Bells had filed a Copyright infringement in the year 2016 before the California Federal Court alleging that Demi Lovato’s track ‘Stars’ is identical to their 2010 track “Infinity Guitars” of their debut album. Both the parties have now filed for a settlement in court and the terms of record is ongoing and hitherto undisclosed.
Entertainment Patent News and Updates
- Licensing deal of patent portfolios to enhance technology in broadcasting
TiVo Inc, a global Leader in entertainment technology, has entered in to a multi-year IP License agreement with Roku Inc, a pioneer in consumer digital media products based on california. The license covers access to patent portfolios of TiVo and additionally entitled to access high quality entertainment metadata and other products of TiVo in-order to advance power innate search and navigating the user interface.
- Blackberry wins legal battle against Qualcomm
Qualcomm, the telecommunication company, is in huge trouble after losing in an arbitration case to Blackberry for overcharging royalty payments. The networking equipment company has to pay $815 million to blackberry for overcharging patent royalties after the sum was decided in an arbitration award. It is to be noted that this is not the first time that a penalty has been charged on Qualcomm for overcharging for its chipset. Earlier Apple has also filed a lawsuit saying that the company has been overcharging for its cellular patents.
Entertainment and Copyright Licensing and Merchandizing
- Toys ‘R’ US Japan gets consolidated with their Asian Venture
Toys ‘R’ US, a leading retailer in toy and juvenile products based out of New York is consolidating its Japanese business, Toys ‘R’ US Japan with Toys ‘R’ Us Asia, their venture in Greater China under a new joint-venture agreement with Hong Kong-based Fung Retailing Limited.
Hong Kong will be the headquarters for the combined business while regional office will continue to operate in Kawasaki, Japan.
Pringles join hands with Helix
The famous tube can chips can now be found in the form of stationary also. Pringles has signed a licensing agreement with Helix, where the UK based company will design pencil boxes in the shape of the famous Pringles tube can. Pink key Consulting is the European licensing agent for the deal that is struck between the two companies.
- Gold’s Gym set to open more stores
The popular health and fitness chain is set to open five more gyms in middle Tennessee. The heath brand has signed a franchise agreement with Tennessee Fitness LLC, which is set to open the gym at convenient locations. The move comes from Gold Gym’s office in an attempt to expand their business all over the world.
- Flipkart overtakes E-bay
The popular online shopping site has overtaken the American site eBay and will handle all the South Asian operations of eBay. The American entity has invested $5oo million in Flipkart and both the companies have merged their operations, providing Flipkart with the access to eBay’s South Asian access and eBay with Flipkart’s plethora of Indian customers.
- WWE to open store in India
Indian wrestling fans are in for a surprise. WWE, World Wide Entertainment, the American entity providing wrestling matches is all set to open up stores in India. The Souled Store and WWE have agreed made a license agreement where toys, collectibles, trading cards will be exclusively available in India for the first time.
- Karl Lagerfeld goes into partnership with Swarovski
The famous jewellery designer Karl Lagerfeld has signed a licensing agreement with the jewellery brand Swarovski to launch his new line of exclusive jewellery featuring Swarovski diamonds. The designer will be collaborating with the Austrian brand to launch his new collection which will feature exclusive fashion jewellery ranging from £45-£500.
Digital and Internet Licensing
- Reserve Bank of India approves Amazon’s eWallet
Amazon’s own digital wallet, Amazon Pay Balance, has recently acquired license from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a full-scale eWallet. It is to be noted that Amazon launched its digital wallet in December last year, in furtherance of their application for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) license, primarily for transactions happening at their e-commerce portal. This development has positioned popular digital wallets such as Paytm, Freecharge, MobiKwik in direct competition with Amzon Pay Balance. It would be interesting to see if Amazon’s eWallet can be game changer in the market considering cashless transactions has taken a dip lately.
BananaIP Entertainment Suggestion of the Week
- Copyrights protection for online business
For online businesses, copyrights assume more importance than they do for other businesses from both protection and risk mitigation perspectives. Protecting copyrights in interfaces, website designs, layouts, menu structures, and other possible aspects of the business will make it difficult for competitors to replicate the business. It will also prevent slavish copying by competitors.


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Third Way (h/t TPM), a Democratic pro-trade think tank, has released a new study, “Are Modern Trade Deals Working?” It examines the various “free trade” deals the U.S. has signed since 2000 to conclude that 13 of 17 have led to an improvement in our goods (not including services; see more below) trade balance with the countries involved, giving a net improvement over the 17 agreements studied of $30.2 billion per year.
I did a similar analysis of this very question (though in less detail than the Third Way study) in 2012. Unlike the Third Way report, my post included all U.S. free trade agreements (rather than starting in 2001 like Third Way) as well as the effect of the 2000 agreement for Permanent Normalized Trade Relations (PNTR) with China. So, compared to the Third Way study, my post includes the FTAs with Israel, Canada, and Mexico, but did not consider the Panama FTA, which had not yet come into effect when I posted. My conclusion was essentially the same as Third Way’s, that the effects of the agreements on our trade in goods were usually positive, but of small size (the effect of the Israel FTA was also small). Because the Third Way study begins in 2001, however, it omits the impacts of NAFTA and PNTR with China. However, as my post showed, they are the most important by far.
This fact is not lost on opponents of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Lori Wallach of Public Citizen Global Trade Watch told the Associated Press that “studies such as Third Way’s make a big deal out of modest trade improvements with countries like Panama, and gloss over huge trade deficits with major trading partners such as South Korea, Mexico and Canada.” She’s right.
In 1993, the year before NAFTA went into effect, the United States had a surplus with Mexico on trade in goods of $1.7 billion. In 1995, it went to a deficit of $15.8 billion, and in 2014 the goods trade deficit was $53.8 billion, down from 2007’s peak of $74.8 billion. This was in sharp contrast with the analysis of Gary Hufbauer and Jeffrey Schott, who predicted trade surpluses on the order of $9-12 billion through the 2000s, even as they admitted that the peso was overvalued (it collapsed in value in the December 1994 “Tequila crisis”).
Meanwhile, the balance of trade in goods with Canada went from a deficit of $10.8 billion in 1993 to $34.0 billion in 2014. Note that the U.S. had a peak deficit of $78.3 billion in 2008, which collapsed to $21.6 billion in 2009.
In 2000, the year PNTR was adopted, the United States had an $83.9 billion goods trade deficit with China. In May of that year, the International Trade Commission (h/t David Cay Johnston) released a report estimating that the trade balance would worsen by a further $4.3 billion. According to the article, the U.S. Trade Representative and the White House both criticized this study strongly. And in fact, the 2001 deficit fell to $83.1 billion. However, in 2002 it was $103.1 billion, an increase more than four times the ITC prediction, and by 2014 it had grown to $342.6 billion.
By including trade in goods but not trade in services, Third Way is admirably the stacking the deck against its own position. It points out that the U.S. has a global surplus in trade in services of $232 billion in 2014, including a $45 billion surplus with Canada and Mexico. However, it doesn’t mention that the U.S. goods trade deficit was $737 billion in 2014, or that the country’s overall 2014 trade deficit was $505 billion, up from $477 billion in 2013.
The ultimate question is whether TPP and TTIP are going to be more like the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, or more like NAFTA and PNTR. Considering that the TPP includes all the NAFTA countries, Australia, Chile, Japan, and six others, comprising “nearly 40 percent of global GDP,” I think it’s safe to assume that it will have a much bigger impact than the FTAs with Australia or Chile, for instance. Similarly, since the European Union has an economy about the same size as the U.S. economy, I believe the TTIP will also have big consequences.
Moreover, we have to remember that these are much more than trade agreements. Both of them have increased protections for investors, patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property, and in both of them the U.S. is advocating the inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement so companies can sue governments through arbitration rather than courts, something that has proven more favorable for companies vis-a-vis both governments and consumers. So, in addition to the negative effects on U.S. workers that we would expect on the basis of the Stolper-Samuelson Theorem, all signatory countries are likely to suffer from higher prices for medicine and assaults on their regulations through investor-state dispute settlement.
Thus, while the Third Way study is right as far as it goes, what it leaves out is far more significant and worrisome.


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Tommy Hilfiger Announces Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton as Global Brand Ambassador for TOMMY HILFIGER Men’s
Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH], announces that British Formula One racing driver and four-time Formula One® World Champion Lewis Hamilton will appear as the new global brand ambassador for TOMMY HILFIGER men’s, including HILFIGER COLLECTION, TOMMY HILFIGER TAILORED and TOMMY HILFIGER Menswear, Underwear and Swimwear, starting Spring 2018. The partnership reflects Tommy Hilfiger’s strategic commitment to build on its strong menswear heritage and further drive the global growth of its men’s business, bringing the next generation of fans to the brand.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180315005270/en/
Lewis Hamilton featured in the TOMMY HILFIGER Spring 2018 Advertising Campaign as the new men's global brand ambassador. Photographed by Mikael Jansson.
“I have always admired Lewis’ incredible endurance during the race, as well as his unique style off the track, which speak to the new generation of Tommy Guys,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “He has built his incredible career as a racing driver with passion, dedication and extremely hard work – values that I embraced when founding my brand. We have a history with Formula One, and this partnership builds on our heritage of collaborations within the world of motor sport.”
Lewis Hamilton’s career achievements have put him in an elite group of global athletes, and he is regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in history. He holds the record for all-time most pole positions, career points and most wins at different circuits. He has won at least one Grand Prix in every season he has competed in. Lewis Hamilton connects with more than 17 million fans through the incredible reach of his social media channels, offering his audience a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Formula One racing world and his personal life.
“I believe in the power of fashion and innovation to celebrate individuality and break conventions, like Tommy Hilfiger,” said Lewis Hamilton. “Tommy’s designs inspire me to be bold in every outfit that I put together outside of the racing track, expressing my creativity and eclectic style with confidence. His groundbreaking TOMMYNOW experiential events are one-of-a-kind, and I’m very excited to partner with such visionary brand.”
The integrated men’s campaign was photographed by Mikael Jansson at the Pocono Raceway, also known as the Tricky Triangle, in Pennsylvania, U.S. and will break globally in Spring 2018. It features exclusive video teasers, print, online, and out of home media placements, and will be supported by unique consumer activations that continue to bring the brand’s unique perspective on pop culture to life around the world. The TOMMY HILFIGER men’s campaign will run alongside the brand’s dedicated women’s advertising, featuring global womenswear brand ambassador and international supermodel Gigi Hadid. The campaigns fused when Lewis Hamilton and Gigi Hadid took the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT S car at the Pocono Raceway, and recorded their first drive together around the track in a dash cam shot video, directed by Matt Baron, that shows their reactions to the other’s driving skills.
The Spring 2018 TOMMY HILFIGER men’s offering celebrates Tommy Hilfiger’s love of motor sports, where speed and immediacy fuse with a touch of vintage nostalgia. The collection, which premiered at TOMMYNOW “DRIVE” during Milan Fashion Week on February 25th, gives nod to the Formula One racing pit crew, with heritage work wear and a strong focus on denim. Street styles are born from the iconic shapes, bold colors and streamlined graphics of speed racers. Looking at the traditional American automobile culture, clothing is reinvented for a collection that fulfills the needs of today’s fast-paced lifestyle.
The brand heritage of TOMMY HILFIGER is closely linked with pop culture and sports icons. In the ‘90s, Hilfiger was one of the first designers to blend fashion and celebrity, and he became a pioneer in the industry by dressing young artists such as Aaliyah, Mark Ronson and Usher; and featuring musicians such David Bowie and Beyoncé in his advertising campaigns. In recent years, Tommy Hilfiger has established inspiring partnerships with international tennis champion Rafael Nadal, international supermodel Gigi Hadid, and award-winning musician/producer duo The Chainsmokers, reflecting the brand’s commitment to broaden its reach and connect with the next generation of consumers. Tommy Hilfiger also has a history with Formula One, most recently announcing a multi-year strategic partnership as the Official Apparel Partner for the four-time World Champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. The brand previously sponsored the Lotus Formula One team from 1991 to 1994, and was the first non-automotive brand to sponsor Ferrari’s Formula One team, including uniforms created by the designer himself, in 1998.
About Tommy Hilfiger
With a brand portfolio that includes TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS, Tommy Hilfiger is one of the world’s most recognized premium designer lifestyle groups. Its focus is designing and marketing high-quality men’s tailored clothing and sportswear, women’s collection apparel and sportswear, kidswear, denim collections, underwear (including robes, sleepwear and loungewear), footwear and accessories. Through select licensees, Tommy Hilfiger offers complementary lifestyle products such as eyewear, watches, fragrance, athletic apparel (golf and swim), socks, small leather goods, home goods and luggage. The TOMMY JEANS product line consists of jeanswear and footwear for men and women, accessories, and fragrance. Merchandise under the TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS brands is available to consumers worldwide through an extensive network of TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS retail stores, leading specialty and department stores, select online retailers, and at tommy.com.
About PVH Corp.
With a history going back over 135 years, PVH has excelled at growing brands and businesses with rich American heritages, becoming one of the largest apparel companies in the world. We have over 35,000 associates operating in over 40 countries and over $8 billion in annual revenues. We own the iconic CALVIN KLEIN , TOMMY HILFIGER , Van Heusen , IZOD , ARROW , Speedo *, Warner’s and Olga brands, as well as the digital-centric True & Co. intimates brand, and market a variety of goods under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands.
*The Speedo brand is licensed for North America and the Caribbean in perpetuity from Speedo International Limited.
Baptiste Blanc, +31 62904 2334
Sr. Director, Global Communications
Emma Philpott, +44 74924 49969
International Head of Entertainment and Sport
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Panasonic’s Next-generation HD-PLC®*1, BPL Communication Technology Adopted as IEEE 1901a Standard25.3.2019 02:14:00 CET | Pressemelding
On March 25, 2019, Panasonic Corporation announced that the IEEE Standards Association has approved the company’s next-generation broadband over powerline (BPL) communication technology for Internet of Things (IoT) as the IEEE 1901a Standard on March 21, 2019 at the Standards Board meeting in Munich, Germany. The company proposed the technology to the IEEE Standardization 1901a Working Group*2 in June 2018. This standard flexibly meets various demands for IoT-related services. IEEE 1901a, BPL communication standard for IoT enables to control frequency bands according to usage. It allows scalable communications with features to extend communication distances and to select speeds. The flexible features defined in this standard enable to address the diverse communication needs of IoT-related services. It implements the following new functions based on the Panasonic original HD-PLC ® Wavelet OFDM technology (standard mode), already adopted in the IEEE 1901-2010 standard. The standard mode
Earth Networks Launches Aviation Early Warning System for the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA)24.3.2019 23:00:00 CET | Pressemelding
Earth Networks today announced it has completed a new aviation early weather warning system for The Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA). The announcement was made at the 6th annual InterMET Asia conference in Singapore. Designed for air traffic management and airport operations professionals to issue alerts on severe weather and lightning threats that have the potential to affect air and land operations including ground crews, fueling, and aircraft, the newly operational global aviation early warning system includes: Real-time lightning detection powered by the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network, featuring over 1,700 sensors in more than 100 countries On-the-ground weather monitoring via the Earth Networks Weather Network Sferic Maps, a web-based severe weather monitoring and alerting platform Severe weather data and visualization tools such as Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts and PulseRad, a lightning-derived radar alternative Short-range point f
PIVOT Fintech Gets Capital Markets Services License From The Monetary Authority Of Singapore24.3.2019 21:30:00 CET | Pressemelding
PIVOT Fintech Pte. Ltd. (“PIVOT”), the digital wealth management technology services venture backed by Pintec Technology Holdings Ltd. (“PINTEC”; NASDAQ: PT) and FWD Group announced today that it has been granted a Capital Markets Services (“CMS”) license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). PIVOT’s CMS license, which comes after the recently published MAS Guidelines on the Provision of Digital Advisory Services on 8 October 2018, allows the company to offer AI-driven investment services directly to retail clients. “This significant Singapore milestone marks the start of PIVOT’s ambition to deliver innovative wealth management solutions in Southeast Asia,” said PIVOT CEO Victor Lye, who created PIVOT’s proprietary gamified risk profiling analytics to drive financial inclusiveness. PIVOT’s core shareholder, PINTEC, has proven technology and expertise in delivering AI-driven global asset allocation and money management services to financial institutions in the highly competitive
1.1 Million People Benefit from the UAE-based Big Heart Foundation’s Humanitarian Efforts in 201824.3.2019 19:21:00 CET | Pressemelding
Humanitarian aid worth US$ 15.8 million (AED 58 million) to 1,091,000 million refugees, internally displaced and acutely disadvantaged people in 12 conflict-laden nations worldwide has been offered by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a leading international humanitarian organisation based in Sharjah, UAE. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190324005019/en/ (TBHF Graphic) Operating under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, UNHCR Eminent Advocate and TBHF Chairperson, the humanitarian non-profit operating out of Sharjah – the third largest emirate in United Arab Emirates (UAE) – has mobilised the funds to support and initiate 20 projects in collaboration with UNHCR, Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) in vital sectors of food security, healthcare and education. Their 2018 efforts spanned 12 countries, namely, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Pal
SCG Chemicals Company chooses gPROMS modelling for digital design and operations22.3.2019 15:55:00 CET | Pressemelding
Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today announced that it has signed a long-term agreement with SCG, one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in South East Asia, to standardise on PSE’s gPROMS® modelling technology for digital design and operations. SCG applies advanced process models within digital design initiatives to explore the process decision space rapidly and effectively, in order to reduce uncertainty and make better, faster and safer design and operating decisions. This help them to accelerate innovation and optimise the design and operation of their process plants. Dr Suracha Udomsak, SCG’s Emerging Business Director and R&D Director, says, “at SCG Chemicals, advanced process modelling (APM) is a key element in our Digital Manufacturing platform. APM accelerates innovation by making the development workflow ‘faster, cheaper & safer’, which are key considerations for us. It is a core technology building block that enables u
Logicor Announces Results for Year Ended 31 December 201822.3.2019 14:29:00 CET | Pressemelding
Logicor announces strong financial performance for the year ended 31 December Net Operating Income (NOI): €639 million, which represents year on year growth of 2.5%, reflecting our strategic focus on increasing occupancy and capturing market rental growth. Over 60% of NOI is generated in the key markets of the UK (26%), Northern Europe1 (21%) and France (15%). Gross Asset Value: €12.5 billion, a 3.3% increase in valuation, which reflects the strong performance of our portfolio, in particular in Northern Europe. EPRA Occupancy: 94.4%, with physical occupancy up 70 bps over the year, underpinned by strong growth in each of our three largest regions of the UK (+120 bps), Northern Europe (+110 bps) and France (+220 bps). LTV: 51%, down from 52% at year end 2017 following increases in property values. At year end, our debt to EBITDA ratio was 11.3x. Capital Structure In 2018 Logicor (rated BBB (Stable) by S&P) established a Euro Medium Term Note (‘EMTN’) programme and raised €1.8 billion of


text: HTC (2498) has already launched its 5-inch full HD smartphone in two markets, but it appears the device won’t be heading to additional markets in the near future. Despite a number of recent leaks, the HTC Deluxe, a variant of Japan’s J Butterfly and Verizon’s (VZ) DROID DNA smartphone, will not launch in Europe according to a spokesperson for HTC Germany. No specific reason was given, although there is a possibility that the device will be released under a different name. Along with a beautiful 1920 x 1080-pixel HD display, the HTC Deluxe was expected to feature a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear camera. BGR reviewed the DROID DNA last week and called it one of the best smartphones available today.


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LONDON, Dec 26 – Footcare company Implus has unveiled a peculiar-looking fashion accessory for the snowy season.
Its WinterTrax shoe grips adapt to all kinds of footwear, from stilettos to loafers and even ballerina flats.
Stretching over the soles of shoes like snow chains on tires, the pikeless grips are designed to facilitate fall-free walks across all kinds of icy or slippery paths.
Although the traction device may not make a style statement in and of itself, WinterTrax could be a boon to fashionistas who can’t resist putting on their teetering, towering footwear even in extreme weather conditions.
Also available for men’s footwear, the grips retail for €14.90 (RM74). – AFP-Relaxnews


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched two customer-centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) – Retail direct scheme and integrated ombudsman scheme, with a view to provide opportunities to retail investors to participate in the government securities market.
“The G-sec market is dominated by Institutional investors like Banks, Insurance companies, Mutual Funds, etc. with lot sizes of ₹5 crores & higher. Hence this segment was largely inaccessible to retail participants. G-secs witnesses highest volumes within the fixed income market since they offer a risk-free rate, hence no credit risk,” said Nitin Shanbhag of Motilal Oswal Private Wealth Management.
The Prime Minister, while launching two innovative, customer-centric initiatives, said these schemes would expand the scope for investment and improve customer grievance redressal mechanism.
The RBI Retail Direct Scheme will enable retail investors to participate into G-secs across various tenors with flexible investment horizons and with the ability to get regular cash flows through risk-free coupons, Shanbhag added.
The scheme is aimed at enhancing access to the government securities market for retail investors. It offers retail investors a new avenue for directly investing in the securities issued by the centre and state governments.
“Small investors will have an opportunity to directly invest in Government securities that are as safe or safer than a Fixed deposit and more directly linked to the Government rates. In the current low-interest-rate scenario, any mature investor would stay away from Government securities due to their low yields. Still, for the masses who do not have access to sophisticated financial services, this will give a direct opportunity to earn interest in a safe way directly on their bank accounts,” said Sonam Srivastava, Co-founder, Wright Research.
These schemes could encourage financial inclusion and bring more money into the capital market from the unorganized sector. But, on the contrary, these schemes could also take retail money from the banking system and directly into the central bank’s kitty, highlighted Srivastava.
Furthermore, the One-Ombudsman scheme centralizes grievance redressal and focuses on preventing financial crime and catching cyber fraud through artificial intelligence promises to encourage investor trust.
“With the entry of small Retail investors for Government securities, the market will get broad based and volumes will increase, with more opportunities and ease of investments,” said Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Managing Director, Resurgent India.
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South Jersey business: Kraft Heinz 'incubates' Laurel Springs almond juice company
When Jacob Deleon founded his South Jersey almond milk company in 2016, things couldn’t have been more hands-on.
The millennial entrepreneur “squeezed’’ imported organic Spanish almonds with a turbo-prop blender in a converted space inside a Magnolia fire house, creating rich, flavored almond milks that quickly caught on at farmers markets, purveyors such as HeartBeet in Westmont and at Whole Foods tastings.
Since then, the young CEO and Drexel grad has had success with Origin Almond, first getting his flavored almond milks (such as Thai coconut or turmeric) from the Cherry Hill Whole Foods’ maker space, The Hatchery, onto that supermarket’s drink shelves.
For a decade before Origin Almond’s launch, Deleon worked to promote Starbucks and Proctor & Gamble products. Now, his Laurel Springs-based startup is getting a big boost another heavy-hitting corporation, Kraft Heinz Company.
The Laurel Springs startup, which has transitioned from almond milks to cold-pressed almond juices, has been selected by Kraft Heinz Company for its second Springboard Incubator program, offering Origin Almond funding, mentoring and other support to grow Deleon’s business.
Kraft Heinz Co., one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, is responsible for brands including Philadelphia, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Maxwell House and many more. Origin Almond is one of five startups selected for its Springboard program, which launched last March for entrepreneurial ventures the corporation views as market “disrupters.’’
In announcing the 2019 members, Kraft Heinz said Springboard "was created to help nurture and develop the next generation of food and beverage brands, while staying close to entrepreneurs, new ideas and consumer trends.'' In addition to Origin Almond, the other startups selected include: Blake’s Seed Based snack bars, BRAMI lupini bean snacks, Ka-Pop! Ancient inGRAINed Snack Co., and Tiny Giants plant-based yogurts.
Brands accepted into the program receive $50,000 in funding when acceptance, with an opportunity to get $50,000 more during the course of Springboard, according to the program website.
For Deleon, 36, who has grown his brand one customer at a time, the opportunity could mean his company could go national, or even international.
Reached by phone last week, Deleon said he struggled with his weight as a child and is committed to evolving his product to be an even healthier “juice alternative’’ that will shake up the market.
“We see that more consumers are becoming aware of the hidden sugars found in perceived healthy foods, like fruit juices, and have shunned them altogether.’’
“I am super excited my startup was selected. They want to make this a true partnership, not just them being teacher and us the student,’’ he said. “We want to figure out a way to make (the juices) even more taste-friendly for even more people, not just those into those super-duper healthy drinks, and work within their supply chain to make it even more affordable.
He will spend several months at company offices in Chicago to participate in the program, he said.
“The program is basically to help brands like me to scale up and grow quickly using the power of a large, mass market food corporation,’’ he continued. “At the same time, I am teaching their team how I do things as a small business, how I am able to move so fast but also out compete other competitors in the market even though I am one thousandth the size of them!’’
To get his original product, an unpasteurized full-fat almond milk, into retail outlets, Deleon evolved it from a sweet beverage that market customers were warned they must consume within a few days to a more stable drink with less sugar that would that would last longer on supermarket shelves.
Through research and experimentation, Deleon came up with his current product, a raw, cold-pressed almond juice that contains less sugar than either the original almond milks or many competing beverages, he said.
“It’s a very different business,’’ he said. “It was a fresh-made product, but the shelf life was very short, less than five days. In order to go for a large, wholesale business, you need a longer shelf life and people have to buy it. You don’t want to worry about things like things going bad or safety.’’
Today, Almond Original juices are available at the region’s Whole Foods and Mom’s Organic markets, as well as at Dean’s Natural Markets in the New York suburbs and Central Markets in Texas. While the company is still based in South Jersey, the quantity of almonds needed for retail production and the technology required to produce juice meant moving production to Newark, Deleon said.
As he seeks to take Origin Almond to a wider audience, Deleon said he’s committed to keeping taste at the forefront.
“We didn’t skimp on the quality,’’ he said. “Both products are still raw; we never use any heat in the process. It has a fresh, clean taste as opposed to some others out there in the market. It has a crisp flavor to it.’’
Origin Almond customers can choose a Lemon Ginger 360 Degree Cleanse, “the better version of those juice cleanses people were doing a few years ago. Ours is only 1 gram of sugar,’’ Deleon said. Other flavors include Thai Coconut Pina Colada, Ginger & Tumeric Golden Mylk and Lemon Iced Chai.
“And we have our own version of the popular green juices. Our own version (Super Greens 4) has four super greens, and a fraction of the sugar.’’ The beverages are keto, paleo, vegan and are gluten and soy free.
Deleon said Origin Almond will not break the bank at $4.99 for a 12 oz. bottle. “This isn’t Goop. We want to make it more affordable for people,’’ he said.
Origin Almond was one of five companies selected from “hundreds and hundreds,’’ he said.
“I wish I could tell you that I knew an insider or exec at Kraft. I applied like everyone else … It was spread through industry news, and it was an open call to apply. I just went to the website and filled out an application. And I had to give them a video to ‘meet the founder.’ ’’
Whatever happens with the Kraft Heinz program, Deleon says he is excited to be part of a growing Philadelphia-area natural foods scene, citing brands such as La Colombe at the forefront.
“We are going into a culinary revolution from the packaged national foods perspective, and we are starting to be more known for much more than water ice and cheesesteaks and Gritty. I’m hoping to really make a mark with Philly.’’
DeLeon also is proud to be the only minority-owned business chosen in this round of The Springboard program.
“I am a first-generation immigrant, I come from a first-generation family,’’ he said. “My parents and I emigrated from the Philippines when I was 2 or 3 years old, and I became a citizen a few years later.
“Out of their sweat, coming to the U.S. with nothing, we were able to build something almost from thin air. It’s amazing how far their kid has progressed. It’s the American dream – coming to this amazing country with nothing and work hard to do something on your own.’’
For more information
The Origin Almond products are available in Whole Foods Markets, Dean’s Markets and Mom’s Organic Markets in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Visit https://www.OriginAlmond.com/where-to-buy
For more on the Kraft Heinz Company and its Springboard Incubator program, visit https://www.springboardbrands.com


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The BMW E39 M5 debuted 20 years ago, and since then, three more generations of M5 have come and gone. But despite the addition of two more cylinders for the E60, twin-turbos for the F10, or all-wheel drive for the F90, none have surpassed the outright driving experience the E39 provides.
The Savagegeese YouTube channel found that out firsthand when it recently got its hands on a 2000 model-year E39 M5. The channel found the car delivers a distinctly '90s driving experience, with minimal electronics and a whole lot of feel. At the same, time, it found the car supremely relaxing, without a harsh ride or much interior noise. It's a car that truly checks all the boxes. Best of all, it can blend into traffic with ease thanks to its subdued looks.
The E39 M5 remains one of BMW's best, regardless of age, which is probably why used examples have recently begun to jump in price. Sure, they're not the most reliable cars in the world, and that early infotainment system wasn't the best to use, but that driving experience is worth the price of entry.


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By MacRumors Staff
Crash Detection Articles
A man was saved by his iPhone 14's emergency features on Friday evening after he drove his car off a cliff and plummeted 400 feet into a canyon in the Mount Wilson area near Los Angeles, according to the local CBS affiliate. The two iPhone 14 features that helped to save the man's life were Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite. First, the iPhone automatically detected a severe car ...


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Gwen Stefani has filed a lawsuit against retail chain Forever 21, The Daily has learned. The Grammy Award-winning singer contests that Forever 21 has allegedly stolen designs from both her highly successful L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers lines. A spokeswoman for Paul Wilmot, who represents Stefani’s clothing line, confirmed the status of the lawsuit but declined further comment pending approval from her legal team. «We feel that both our L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers designs have been infringed upon by Forever 21 and we plan to vigorously protect our intellectual property,» Stefani’s spokeswoman said. A representative for Forever 21 was unavailable for comment. Stay tuned.
Stefani’s lawsuit against Forever 21 isn’t the embattled mass retailer’s first such incident. This past March, Diane von Furstenberg Studio filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 Retail Inc. claiming copyright infringement on its «Cerisier» and «Aubrey» designs. In January, M.M.P. Inc., which conducts business as Fabric & Fabric, sued Forever 21 over fabric copyright issues. And last July, Soho Fashion Ltd. sued the retailer for marketing a graphic t-shirt that featured artwork depicting a similar image to an original piece known as «Three Women».


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For direct-to-consumer brands, the cost to acquire new customers has gone up, especially on Facebook and Instagram, in recent years. For media buyers who manage DTC brands, it can be tricky to balance the brands’ expectations and the realities of costs today.
Virtually every company I speak to is hooked on 'paid media' despite all the evidence available saying 'ITS JUST NOT WORKING'.
The marketing teams and retained agencies not only spend ludicrous amounts of budget on this activity, but the amount of time it consumes to prove not a lot is surely the definition of advertising madness?
I admit that over the years I've been one of those who has burned millions on paid media in all its forms and then spent hours mulling over the results in anticipation that we could all pat ourselves on the back because we believed we had moved the needle up.
But that was some years ago. Today I'm continually stunned that brands are still not accepting that over 75% of each marketing dollar goes to fraudsters, and for the 25% that you think gets through it has to navigate ad blocking, ad skipping, and of course tighter regulations around data privacy.
The arrival of the GDPR last May had a knock-on effect to publishers and platforms that is only really being felt by ad tech vendors, agencies and advertisers now. Between the browsers squeezing out third-party data, and regulators wising up to how that data is being used, demand for low-risk options is high.
Cost continue to rise, to keep pace the budget also needs to rise, yet all the same issues prevail but the intrusive advertising madness continues.
"Over the last few years, the focus was on first-time cost-per-acquisition, so acquiring customers for the first time. What’s been talked about a lot lately and what’s going to start to become a huge thing is talking about the true profits needed for a business to truly scale. We’ve had brands who’ve said, “As long as you get me a 2X ROAS on Facebook and Instagram, we can scale up.” After running ads and learning more about their business, we learned that wasn’t enough for them to scale because as they did so, costs would go up across the board".
It was inevitable that brands would shift spend to the biggest social and behavioural consumer change in history that is the global social networks.
As at November 2019 there are 3.7bn people on one social network or other and the brands have now shifted their 'advertise and promote' mentality into this space. With the same mindset akin to colonial settlers kicking out indigenous populations and then wondering why they eventually rebel, just the same as the consumers who are switching off from those adverts in their millions.
How about using social media to be just that, social?
“Advertising in a cookie-free mobile app environment where users spend much of their digital time is complicated and difficult,” said Eric Haggstrom, forecasting analyst at eMarketer. “Social networks prove to be the major exception. They’ve made it relatively easy to target audiences at scale in an in-app environment.”


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Tag: money matters
Money worries got you down? Consider a few of these tips to have a positive impact on your health and share your own tips with us!
According to a recent home trends study performed by Bloomberg, pool repair and construction rates dipped by 4.6% compared to last year. This marks the 11th year that pool levels have struggled to reach pre-recession levels. Bloomberg goes on to note that pool construction plummetted from 129,000 in 2008 to […]


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Jade Empire goes gold and in stores April 14
posted: 4/1/2005 3:59:00 PM
The wait's almost over as word comes from Bioware that
is now gold and will be in stores April 14th. The Asian themed RPG looked really good at E3 last year and it should be one of the top RPG titles of the year.
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ST. LOUIS (NEWS RELEASE) –Schnuck Markets, Inc. is pleased to announce that this summer it will begin construction of a new estimated $100 million, state-of-the-art distribution center at NorthPark in Kinloch in north St. Louis County. With more room and a more efficient layout than the company’s current distribution center in Bridgeton, Mo., the new complex supports Schnucks’ ongoing customer commitment to deliver quality products at affordable prices.
“As we continue to grow, our goal is to offer customers an even larger selection and variety of quality foods, and the new NorthPark facility allows us to do just that. This expansion nearly doubles our distribution and warehousing capabilities” said Todd Schnuck, Chairman and CEO of Schnucks. “Not only is this project a big investment in the north St. Louis County community, it’s a major investment in the future of our company and demonstrates our commitment to our customers and to the St. Louis area.”
The 915,000-square foot distribution center will be one of St. Louis County’s largest commercial developments in recent years. Schnucks expects the facility to be completed in summer 2016.
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said, “On behalf of St. Louis County, we were proud to assist in making this investment in North County a reality. I commend Schnucks commitment to building this facility in Kinloch. It’s projects like this that will help revitalize our community.”
Schnucks’ NorthPark facility joins the company’s current 570,000-square-foot grocery warehouse in Bridgeton, which was built in 1971 and has undergone several expansions to accommodate the company’s growth.
Founded in St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets, Inc. operates 98 stores and 93 in-store pharmacies in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. Follow Schnucks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Schnucks.


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Podcasts & RSS Feeds
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- "A sad day" for Michigan bats: White-nose syndrome found in 3 counties
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- Power shift at Kendall College causing a stir
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Tue July 26, 2011
Talks fall through to buy 30 Borders stores
NEW YORK (AP) - Bookstore chain Books-A-Million Inc. says its last-minute talks to buy the leases and assets of 30 Borders bookstores out of bankruptcy have fallen through.
Borders Group Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in February, received court approval last week to liquidate its 399 stores. The chain said at the time it was talking to Books-A-Million about buying 30 store leases and inventory.
But Books-A-Million said Tuesday those talks were unsuccessful.
A group led by liquidation firms Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Group are now holding going-out-of-business stores at all Borders stores.
Birmingham, Ala.-based Books-A-Million operates 231 stores in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Borders is based in Ann Arbor, Mich.


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Attendees listened to an inspirational speech by former Canadian Olympic athlete Vince Poscente and heard from EAI management on a variety of business topics. The meeting wrapped up with some “non-business” activities including deep-sea fishing and a trip to the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
OLYMPIC DREAMSFormer Olympic skier Poscente was very upfront in his first statement to a packed audience. “My story isn’t important — what is your story?” he asked. “What is your vision for four years from now?” he asked, referring to the Winter Olympics, held every four years.
Poscente shared his ideas for success, forged from his underdog quest for Olympic glory. His success formula is based on “the five Cs” — clarity, commitment, consistency, confidence, and control.
Poscente addressed clarity. “There are turning points in life,” said Poscente. “Something happens that points us in a direction.” In his case, his direction was clarified — he wanted to speed ski in the Olympics.
“Who in their right mind would want to speed ski in the Olympics,” he joked. “But you never know what you like to do until you have tried.”
When talking of commitment, Poscente said that a person must be committed to each step of the process.
He added that in business, as well as sports, it is important to “do what the competition is not willing to do, then facilitate what the competition hasn’t thought of.”
Poscente said that confidence, the fourth “C,” comes from managing stress, and the fifth “C” — control — includes conquering fear.
“How we become the solution is critical,” he added. “But remember not to focus on the end result. Focus on the journey instead.”
Among the many different discussions during EAI’s three-day business conference were the following topics: “Why Good Employees Leave and How to Prevent It,” “Sales and Marketing Management,” and brand name discussions from strategic partners Nordyne and Trane/American Standard.
Here are the highlights of these discussions.
WHY GOOD EMPLOYEES LEAVEAl Roach of Callahan/Roach & Associates focused on employee retention. Roach’s message was simple: Focus on the “internal customer,” the employee. “We have to ask: What do we need to do to attract and keep employees?” Roach said.
He added that the current economic climate should not affect the way business owners recruit, hire, and retain workers — as long as the techniques are successful.
“Sure, we are in a recession right now,” Roach said. “But many of us have been in a recession before and survived it.
“At the time I started out in business, in 1991, the war in Kuwait started and the economy slumped. We didn’t have instructions on how to deal with a recession, so we learned by doing.”
Roach suggested that the labor market has changed from 10-15 years ago. “Young people seem to be less loyal today, so we need to sell them on the fact that our workplace is an attractive and challenging place,” he said.
“Our industry has suffered from low self-esteem. If we think of ourselves as professionals, we will be professional.”
Professionalism equates to high self-esteem, which Roach said is a level where people are most efficient. “Their attitude becomes one where they want to fix the customers, not just the equipment,” he said.
“Many of us don’t set goals with our people. They don’t have a clue of what to expect,” stated Roach. “That kills self-esteem and confidence.
“We have to do a better job of communicating with employees, to close the gap of misinformation and prevent rumors from non-information. Tell employees what they have to do.”
Roach believes that communication should be stressed at all levels. “People leave because they don’t feel they are involved in the job,” he said. “Employees tend to feel inadequate about what they do. That’s why they need immediate feedback and they need training, training, and more training.
“At some point in time, you need to tell your employees they are appreciated. Show them you care, or they might leave for a job that pays $0.25 an hour more.”
SALES AND MANAGEMENTDrew Cameron of Supernova Selling Systems told EAI members that as business owners, they “are the catalyst for the business. You set the tone for the day, so check your excess baggage at the door and get to work.”
Cameron believes that management should develop a strong marketing program with one goal in mind — customer retention. According to Cameron, follow-up is key. “It is usually indifference [lack of follow-up] that drives customers away,” he said.
Cameron said that contractors don’t necessarily need more sales leads; they need better tracking. “You need to close 50-75% of your leads — anything over that and your prices are too low,” he said. “You have to recognize the most important question in the process: what happens next? What happens after a salesperson runs the lead and gives a quote?
“You need to know the final resolution.”
Cameron, who teaches marketing and sales courses, stressed two highlights of his marketing course.
“Eliminate your competition with competitive analysis and develop a plan where they are not, cannot, will not, and are unwilling to go. Then exploit weaknesses in the armor and ‘take’ — in order to capture market share and mind share,” he said.
“Without a marketing plan, you are doomed to experience peaks and valleys in your business. You are flying blind and leaving your company, your coworkers, and your family’s income at risk. You are susceptible to weather conditions driving your business. You expose your company to competitive attack and capturing of your customer base, and you are doing a disservice to your customers.”
Cameron said there is no problem with depending on weather for business, but that type of business should be the gravy. Contractors need to be active rather than reactive.
“You can’t wait for customers to show up at a competitor and then steal them,” he said. “And you can’t wait for the Yellow Pages ad to show up, either.”
NORDYNEJim Burnes and Dennis Kloster talked with EAI members about the Nordyne brand and how they can expect the best products and service in the hvacr business.
Burnes said his company has a basic philosophy. “Build a high-quality product at the lowest average cost, in the shortest possible production time, and to the customer’s specified demand.
“Our vision is to be the preferred heating and cooling manufacturer. And we plan to double our sales volume over the next four years.”
“We have the best warranty in the business,” added Burnes. “If a compressor or heat exchanger failure results in a complete changeout, we will pay for the new system and $250 toward labor costs.”
Burnes told contractors that by offering different warranty options such as eight-, six-, or five-year plans, they are selling themselves and their service. He quickly reminded his audience that Nordyne is interested in selling them, not the Nordyne name. “We want contractors to sell themselves first and the brand name second,” he said.
Kloster described the various product lines. He classified Gibson as lower-end or “price driven”; Philco and Kelvinator as medium or “new construction” lines; and Frigidaire and Tappan as higer-end or “premium” lines.
One EAI contractor, Bob Pomeroy of Beaudry Heating & Cooling, Flint, MI, said that Nordyne acts quickly to his concerns and added, “They have helped me blow up my balloon instead of asking me to help them blow up their own balloon.”
TRANE/AMERICAN STANDARDRandy Scott had big news to share with EAI members about Trane. “We will transition our entire product line in the next 14 months and replace every one,” he said. The first new model, the XL_i, has just been introduced. The new model is easier to service, with 50% fewer screws than the one it replaced.
“We need products that we can install faster and service easier,” Scott said. “We’ve added interlocking panels and reduced the number of screws.”
In addition, the XL_i has a 10-year warranty on all internal functioning parts, and if the unit is included with a furnace or air handler, the entire system would be warranted for 10 years.
According to Scott, the new initiatives are part of Trane’s overall plan to “achieve premier customer service, drive operational excellence, and deliver business plan results. Our unitary strategy continues to focus on premium products, not lower prices.” Scott said a good example of Trane’s success is that despite a 7% drop in a/c equipment shipments industry-wide, his company is bucking the trend by gaining market share.
Trane is also rolling out its new “Comfortsite,” an e-business website where contractors can place equipment orders and complete the transaction in an average of nine minutes, compared to a conventional order taking 56 minutes.
Scott also talked about Trane’s Home Depot program. Under this program, Home Depot provides leads on Trane equipment to qualified contractors, who then follow up on the leads and sell, install, and service the equipment. The leads are only given to one qualified contractor in the service area.
“The potential for lead generation is enormous,” said Scott. “One Atlanta-area contractor did $2 million off of these leads.
“In-store displays are provided; dealers can use their own people in the store; customers can call into a call center on the spot to set up a sales call. Home Depot has a good advertising program, and can offer financing.”
Scott said that contractors who make the sale are paid within five business days by Home Depot. Any future service is between the homeowner and contractor, said Scott. Home Depot makes no money after the original sale. For its part, Home Depot makes 5 1/2% off of each sale.
“It’s a bolt-on profit center,” Scott added. “It doesn’t conflict with a contractor’s current business.”
Scott said that 143 Home Depot stores were participating in the program at the end of June 2001. Trane plans to increase the total to 333 stores by the end of 2001. A national rollout is planned for 2002.
Sidebar: EAI Honors Its Allies, MembersExcellence Alliance, Inc. (EAI) presented the EAI Founders Awards at its 2001 Annual Excellence Leaders Meeting in San Diego, CA. Awards were presented to:
- Strategic Ally Award, Manufacturer — The Trane Company; Strategic Ally Award, Distributor — Watsco, Inc.;
- Strategic Ally Award, Supplier — Equiguard;
- Strategic Ally Award, Automotive — General Motors;
- Donald C. Schmitt Mentor Award — Mike Callahan, Callahan/Roach;
- Neil J. Quinn Partner Award — Nordyne, Dennis Kloster and Jim Burnes (O’Fallon, MO);
- James P. Norris Visionary Award — Mitchell Cropp, Cropp-Metcalfe (Fairfax, VA);
- Shining Star Award — Tim Gerhardt, All Points (Itasca, IL);
- Industry Advancement Award — Bob Helbing, Air-Tro, Inc. (Monrovia, CA); and
- EAI Member of the Year Award — Andy Rodenhiser, Rodenhiser Plumbing & Heating (Holliston, MA).
Sidebar: EAF Fundraiser Brings In $25,000 For FoundationThe Excellence Alliance Foundation (EAF) held its annual fundraiser, sponsored by Trane, aboard the Spirit of San Diego. The three-hour cruise around the harbor included dinner, gambling and prizes. The mock casino included craps, roulette, and blackjack tables.
Participants pledged donations and received chips to play with at the tables. At the end of the night they cashed in their chips for raffle tickets. These raffle tickets were then used to participate in a raffle.
The event raised $25,000. The money will go to EAF for scholarship distribution. The intent of EAF is to award as many scholarships as possible for the education of the future workforce in the contracting industry.
Publication date: 12/17/2001


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iQOO is preparing to launch the iQOO 8 Pro smartphone in India soon. So far, the device has been spotted on the IMEI database, Google Play Console, and Geekbench. Now, the smartphone has made it to BIS India. With the device’s listing on all these certifications, we have some leaked specifications of the upcoming iQOO 8 Pro.
On November 17, the iQOO 8 Pro smartphone was listed at BIS India with the model number l2017. Apart from these minimal details, the listing hardly reveals any additional information about the upcoming smartphone.
Prior to this, the iQOO 8 Pro (l2017) visited Geekbench and Google Play Console divulging some key specifications. The device has managed to score 1098 and 3594 points in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively at Geekbench. As per the listing, the device will draw power from Snapdragon 888 Plus SoC under the hood. It will operate on Android 11 paired with 8GB RAM.
On the other hand, the iQOO 8 Pro also appeared on the IMEI database before confirming the moniker. Talking about the design and display, the phone could hold a Full HD+ panel with a punch-hole display and a pixel density of 440PPI.
As iQOO 8 Pro is not launched in China, and it will feature a 6.78-inch AMOLED display coupled with up to 12GB RAM. The front side can house a 16MP selfie camera while a 50MP primary lens is likely to lead the triple camera module at the rear.


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Singaporean operators will be required to allow users to cap data roaming charges at S$100 ($78.90) under new consumer protection regulations proposed by Singapore’s IDA.
Operators will be compelled to introduce the ability to automatically turn off roaming once this cap is reached by the first quarter of 2012, in a move that looks likely to impact local operators' ARPU.
From 1 July 2011, operators will need to obtain customers’ consent before implementing any form of roaming services. Roaming services are available by default for consumers on certain subscription plans.
Recommendations have also been set out to enhance the transparency of Singapore’s advertised broadband speeds.
IDA will also require operators to provide consumers with a free premium rate services (PRS) barring service by 2012, which will prevent consumers from accidentally subscribing to these services. Plans are meanwhile underway for a distinctive prefix number for operators to migrate PRS to.
More stringent penalties await PRS providers who contravene the IDA’s current regulations on PRS, the IDA said in a statement, adding repeat offenders would face license suspensions or cancellations.
The IDA considers PRS as value-added services that deliver content such as information, wallpapers and ringtones over SMS, and for which users are ‘charged over and above the standard network charges’. These services could be provided by third-parties or operators.
Figures provided by the IDA indicated that the number of complaints the regulator received for PRS had stood at 161 in 2008, dipped to 86 in 2009 but then rose to 156 in 2010.


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General Motors has officially unveiled the refreshed, U.S.-spec 2024 Buick Envision, following up on last year’s preview. The refreshed 2024 Buick Envision features an updated exterior and a new interior, as well as a 30-inch diagonal infotainment screen and more standard safety features. In addition, all-wheel drive is now included as standard across the trim level lineup. The refreshed Envision will launch in North America this summer.
GM Authority has covered the refreshed 2024 Buick Envision extensively in the past, bringing you exclusive coverage on the crossover’s options and packages, paint options, safety features, and more. Now, General Motors has announced a bevy of official details.
Outside, we see a new exterior design, as previewed last year. The revisions include a new grille and a new front fascia, as well as a new Tri-Shield emblem and LED lighting, all of which take inspiration from the 2022 Buick Wildcat EV concept vehicle. New exterior colors include Calypso Blue Metallic and Smokey Amethyst Metallic.
Three trim levels will be offered – Preferred, ST, and Avenir. Preferred trims roll on 18-inch alloys as standard, while 20-inch wheels are included as standard on ST and Avenir, with the ST wheels presenting a Carbon Flash Metallic finish, and Avenir trims presenting a Pearl Nickel finish.
The new interior design is headlined by an all-new 30-inch diagonal screen, which Buick claims to be the largest in Envision’s vehicle class. The new screen stretches across the dash from the center console to the gauge cluster, offering customizability for navigation, vehicle information, audio, and more. The infotainment setup also includes Google Assistant and supports popular apps like Spotify. Interior color options include Garnet with Ebony accents, as well as Cool Gray with Slate Blue accents.
The 2024 Buick Envision also includes the most standard safety features of any Buick ever, such as Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian and Bicycle Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, and more.
As for the greasy bits, the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY gasoline engine is standard, doling out 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Buick’s Active Twin-Clutch all-wheel drive system is also included as standard across the range.
Look for the refreshed 2024 Buick Envision to hit dealers this summer.


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ESTEE LAUDER LAUNCHES OFFICIAL YOU TUBE CHANNEL
Want behind-the-scenes access or need a how-to video to brush up your makeup techniques? Estee Lauder has just the ticket â€“ itâ€™s new official YouTube channel, called Your Source for Expert Beauty Advice (www.youtube.com/esteelauder). The channel launched last week with 35 videos featuring Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux as well as global spoksmodels Hilary Rhoda, Constance Jablonski, Liu Wen, Joan Smalls, Carolyn Murphy and Elizabeth Hurley.
Content is original and interactive and even includes a two-way mirror application where you can follow a how-to video and watch yourself applying makeup simultaneously.
In addition to how-tos, the channel features interviews w
ESTEE LAUDER’S NEWEST GLOBAL BEAUTIES
Photo credit: Business Wire
Chinese model Liu Wen and French model Constance Jablonski give Estee LauderÂ global street cred as the first modelsÂ from their respective countries to be featured in a Lauder campaign, beginningÂ this June. Adding to their lineup of genetically blessed beauties – which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Rhoda, Carolyn Murphy, and Elizabeth Hurley – LauderÂ has setÂ an admirableÂ precedent by embracingÂ a multi-cultural standard of beauty.Â
â€œEstÃ©e Lauder has always searched for global beauties that define a generation,â€ said Aerin Lauder, Senior Vice President, Creative Director, EstÃ©e Lauder. â€œConstance and Liu We


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New Library Point of Sale facility.
You can now pay late fees and buy Library items like comb binders, USBs and carry bags via the Point of Sale option on the ePay machines in every campus library.
Just take your receipt to the Service Desk to collect your goods or clear the late fees.
This news item was added: 08-03-2011
Ragu Navaratnam, Photocopy Services Manager


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Last Updated on 5 months by newseditor
Although the cryptocurrency market has potential for excitement and financial gain, it also carries some inherent risks. The FTC claims that since the beginning of 2021, over 46,000 victims have reported losing over $1 billion in cryptocurrency to scams. The 2018 loss total was nearly sixty times lower than the 2017 total, with the median loss per person being $2,600 in 2018. Unfortunately, crypto scams like exits and hacks are commonplace in this ecosystem. Scams also continued to increase in 2022, even as the cryptocurrency market experienced its worst crash to date. Research shows that investing-related frauds and impersonation frauds from legitimate businesses and government agencies were the most common types of scams that have occurred over the years. The following are examples of the audacious and biggest crypto exit scams discovered so far.
Crypto Exit Scams
In April 2021, the founder of Thodex told investors that the platform would be “temporarily closed” before shutting it down permanently and making off with $2 billion. Faruk Fatih Ozer, the founder, is still on the run despite his denial that it was an exit scam. According to some estimates, the theft could have cost as much as $2.6 billion.
Africrypt, a cryptocurrency exchange based in South Africa, was founded by two brothers who were just 18 and 21 years old at the time. In April of 2021, after an unknown “hack,” the company blocked customer access to their funds. As soon as the website went offline, the brothers vanished. Using a Ponzi scheme, the two brothers allegedly raised $3.6 billion before stealing Bitcoin from their investors
SushiSwap Exit Scam
In 2020, the anonymous creator of the cryptocurrency SushiSwap pulled a bizarre rug pull that became known as one of the largest and one of the most well-known crypto scams to rock the market. They cashed out a large number of tokens, exactly 2.5 million SUSHI and 20,000 ETH. It was approximately $13 million at the time.
CertiK, a blockchain security firm, has announced in its recent post that their respective creators have pumped away two newly created contracts, CirculateBUSD and CirculateWBNB. The $2.5 million was apparently stolen by the people who drafted the two contracts. Once on Ethereum, the funds were transferred to Tornado Cash, an OFAC-approved coin mixer.
Scams and frauds are common even in the well-established, centuries-old stock markets, which have been well-regulated for decades or even centuries. When it comes down to it, it’s the investor’s responsibility to avoid losing their money to crypto exit scams. To avoid exit scams and put your money where it will be safest, you should verify the legitimacy of the project you’re considering investing in.


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Update: Dezheng Founder Gets 23 Years in Prison Over Port Forgery Scandal
A court in East China has sentenced the founder of Dezheng Resources Holding Co. Ltd. to 23 years in prison and fined the aluminum company 3.012 billion yuan ($436.57 million) over a case of fraud that lost banks billions, shook international commodity markets and deeply damaged confidence in China’s warehouses four years ago.
The Qingdao Intermediate Court found Chen Jihong and several of his top staff guilty of forging and duplicating receipts for the company’s inventory of aluminum ingots, alumina and copper it had stored at the ports of Qingdao and Penglai. Between 2012 and 2014 Dezheng used the duplicated receipts as collateral for bank loans, securing financing on the back of metals it did not have, according to a report in the official Legal Daily (link in Chinese).
- 1Sinopharm’s Vaccine Nears Emergency-Use Approval by WHO
- 2Patchy Risk Disclosure Earns Shanghai Pudong Development Bank a Slap on the Wrist
- 3State Rail Operator Blamed for Beijing Labor Day Chaos
- 4Major Chinese State Firms Told to Keep a Closer Eye on Their Derivative Trading
- 5Illegal Fuel Trade Probe Detains Six Employees of BP’s South China Venture
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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May 9, 2022 @ 14:42
(From left to right) Kho, Hilmy, Wee, and Goh during the press conference.
By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 9: The much-anticipated Kuching Festival Food Fair will take place from July 29 to August 21 this year with a target of 250 stalls and 500,000 visitors, says Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng.
According to Wee, the festival will take place every evening from 5.30pm to 11pm at the MBKS community hall at Jalan Padungan here.
“This year’s theme will be ‘Kuching’s Best Creative Food & Culture’.
“In conjunction with Kuching’s designation as the ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’, we would like to see more creative food presentations inspired by your culture or ingredients this year.
“This would be our priority, and we welcome everyone to join,” he said at a press conference today.
He mentioned that the upcoming festival would allow vendors to earn extra money, and the organising committee has decided to keep the rental fees the same as in 2019.
“We are organising the festival to provide vendors with an opportunity to earn some money. After all, some people have suffered from the pandemic.
“We will still maintain the rental fees as in 2019, and we will absorb any extra costs,” he added.
The mayor explained that food stalls at the Kuching Festival Food Fair 2019 were priced between RM550 and RM3,000, depending on the size and location.
“Even though the target is 250 stalls, if more applications come in later, the organiser shall find a way to accommodate more stalls.
“The organiser will decide whether to spread the festival out, holding it at different locations based on the number of applications received,” he stated.
He went on to say that they will engage with delivery companies to offer delivery services and provide a drive-thru section for pick-ups, all of which are still under discussion.
Wee remarked that application approval would be based on applicants creativity, specifically how to promote and better present local delicacies.
“We hope to see vendors serve a wide variety of food, so please be more creative with your food presentation,” he said. Furthermore, in terms of crowd control, Wee stated that the organiser would enlist the help of Rela personnel and volunteers to help with the flow.
Meanwhile, Kuching Festival Food Fair organising chairman Goh Tze Hui announced that the trade fair would be discontinued this year, but the garden show and stage performances will continue.
“We allow dine-in with proper standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the safety of all.
“Previously, the Kuching Festival Food Fair 2019 hosted 285 stalls and attracted one million visitors, both locals and foreigners,” Goh said.
He added that the festival had one million visitors in 2019 and that previously, they had 700,000 to 800,000 visitors each year, so they hope to get half a million this year.
“It will be easier to manage the crowds within the community hall,” he claimed.
Moreover, MBKS deputy mayor Hilmy Othman remarked that this year’s Kuching Festival should serve as a start to get things rolling with people embracing normalcy after the pandemic.
“It’s an opportunity for the people to showcase their creative and different food.
“What’s more, the festival is also on the State’s tourism calendar,” Hilmy mentioned.
He also said that previously, the annual festival attracted a good number of tourists from Singapore due to the availability of flights.
“Now that we have Scoot and AirAsia connecting Kuching and Singapore, and with attractive hotel rates, tourists from Singapore should be able to join the festival,” he noted.
Applications for stalls are now open and will close before or at 4pm on May 24.
Forms can be obtained online at https://forms.gle/Bz8M5mtuuRUH18Ba7 or by visiting counter 8 or 9 at the MBKS One- Stop Service Centre from 8.30am to 4pm.
Also present was MBKS councillor Kho Teck Wan. — DayakDaily


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India and Russia have discussed the possibility of accepting each other’s domestic payment cards, RuPay and Mir, for hassle-free payments amidst the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries. The decision was made during the recent Internal Governmental Commission meeting on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Russia Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.
The mutual acceptance of RuPay and Mir cards would allow Indian and Russian citizens to make payments in Indian rupees and Russian ruble in their respective countries. Additionally, the meeting also agreed to explore the possibility of interaction of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of National Payment Corporation of India and the Faster Payments System (FPS) of the Bank of Russia, as well as adopting the Russian financial messaging system, Services Bureau of Financial Messaging System of the Bank of Russia, for cross-border payments.
Currently, overseas payments from India and vice versa are carried out through the SWIFT network, which would still be used in case other options are not feasible. The recent launch of the cross-border connectivity between UPI and PayNow between India and Singapore will facilitate faster and cost-efficient digital transfers between the two countries, benefitting the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers and students.
The UPI was launched in 2016 and has since emerged as the most popular payment mode, accounting for 75% of the total digital payments in India. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) operates retail payments and settlement systems in the country through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), UPI, Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag), and Bharat BillPay.